Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Bamboo qeej pipes, 'Hmong Ceremony'[update: link no longer active]$294.95 through Novica.com (apparently associated with National Geographic). Little information about it in the description except that it was made in Thailand. They do mention that words can be played on the instrument. From the website:"Brass inlays add beauty to this qeej, hand-crafted of rain tree wood and bamboo. A wind instrument, it is unique to the Hmong people and figures in ceremonies to connect with the spirit world. It is vital in funerals, and its tones emulate the sounds of the Hmong language. Thus it is sometimes used to communicate in "words." This instrument features six bamboo pipes."

My favorite part: apparently it is "on sale" from $454.95 (as if everyone is comparison shopping in villages across Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam before purchasing their qeej online.)